Internal combustion (IC) engines, such as those used in motor vehicles, typically generate heat energy as a by-product of generating power. Generally, such engines are also cooled in order to maintain their operating temperature in a particular range and ensure the engine's efficient and reliable performance for propelling the subject motor vehicle.
In a majority of motor vehicles, IC engines are cooled by a circulating fluid, such as a specially formulated chemical compound mixed with water. Additionally, such engines are lubricated and cooled by oils that are generally derived from petroleum-based and non-petroleum synthesized chemical compounds.
Under extreme operating conditions, IC engines generate elevated amounts of heat energy within their combustion chambers. Such heat energy usually affects the entire engine structure, but is initially absorbed by the engine's pistons. In order to permit the pistons to reliably withstand elevated thermal stresses, IC engines are often equipped with oil squirters to cool the pistons.